Sri Lanka's Joint Opposition has spoken out against a USAID sponsored seminar on constitutionalism, stating that only a domestic process for drafting a new constitution should take place. Joint Opposition leader Dinesh Gunawardena confirmed that MPs had been invited to the conference later this month, but said it would decrease the Sri Lankan public's confidence in the constitution making process. Speaking to the Sunday Times , Mr Gunawardena said, “Why is the US getting involved in constitution making in Sri Lanka? It’s a domestic process which should be undertaken by Sri Lankans.”
Honored to meet again w/ #SriLanka Opp. Leader Mr.Sampanthan & hear views on reconciliation & constitutional reform pic.twitter.com/IczxWH3Slb — Amb Atul Keshap (@USAmbKeshap) March 18, 2016 The leader of the Tamil National Alliance met with the US Ambassador to Sri Lanka earlier this week to discuss “reconciliation and constitutional reform”. Ambassador Keshap tweeted a photograph from the meeting on Friday, saying he was “honoured” to meet the TNA leader R Sampanthan. The meeting comes as Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena pledged not to allow foreign involvement in an...
A book written by the LTTE political division's women's wing leader Thamilini is to be launched in Kilinochchi today, despite reported attempts to block the event by Sri Lankan police. The book launch will be headed by poet Pon. Kanthan and is set to take place on Saturday at the Kilinochchi Co-operative College Hall. Two books are set to be released, an autobiography reportedly written by Thamilini prior to her death and an anthology of poems, both of which have been spearheaded by her husband.
A pair of Sri Lankan soldiers have been arrested for supplying guns to criminal gangs in Colombo, reports The Island . The two soldiers, who are currently stationed close to the southern capital Colombo, were arrested after an “underworld figure” in custody tipped of police. The soldiers had sold a pair of T-56 assault rifles to the gang at Rs. 300,000 each.
Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena reiterated that his government would not allow foreign judges to be involved in an accountability mechanism for violations of international humanitarian law that occurred during the final stages of the armed conflict. Mr Sirisena once again, spoke out against international involvement, repeating similar statements he has made over the last few months. Speaking at a National Law Conference in Wadduwa, Mr Sirisena told the audience, "I will not agree to get foreign judges in to any kind of investigations into human rights violations allegations". The Sri Lankan president has been staunch in his opposition to international involvement, despite Sri Lanka committing to a UN resolution in September that mandates foreign judges and prosecutors.
The Sri Lankan military held a lecture on ‘Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law’ in Mullaitivu earlier this month. Soldiers were given a lecture on the subject as part of a training day “under the supervision of Major General P.U.S. Vithanage, Commander, SFHQ-MLT,” reported a military website . The lecture was given alongside another talk on “Earth Moving Machinery”.
Former Eastern Province Chief Minister Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan, also known as Pillaiyan, had his bail application rejected by Batticaloa magistrates on Friday. Mr Chandrakanthan, a former member of the LTTE who was embraced by the Sri Lankan government after he turned against the movement, is in custody over the killing of TNA parliamentarian Joseph Pararajasingham. He was initially arrested on October 11. His next court hearing will take place on April 1.
Sri Lanka’s former army general Sarath Fonseka denied all reports that troops under his command committed war crimes and reiterated his commitment to defending the army. Speaking to The Island at a media briefing organized by the Information Department at the Sri Lanka Foundation Institute (SLFI) Mr Fonseka also denied reports that tens of thousands of civilians had been killed during the final stages of the armed conflict. The Island reported the recently appointed minister as saying “the much-repeated allegation that 40,000 civilians were killed during the last two months of the battle against the LTTE was a blatant lie.” He also “strongly denied UN allegations in respect of indiscriminate artillery fire directed at civilians, as well as hospitals and makeshift medical facilities”. Mr Fonseka went on to say that he had “direct access to real time footage obtained by Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) operating over Vanni” which were so accurate, the Sri Lankan military could even visualise the flags draped over the bodies of dead LTTE cadres.
Steps are being taken to construct a memorial pillar in Jaffna, in memory of journalists who have been killed in the line of duty. Members of the Jaffna Press Club as well as the Working Journalists Association and Operational Group for Press Freedom put forward the proposal, ahead of a meeting between Tamil and Sinhala journalists later this month. The meeting is part of a ‘Thalpathai – Panhidai’ Project due to take place on the 26th of March. The Sri Lankan army held a meeting with a team from the Ministry of Parliamentary Reforms and Mass Media to discuss the project earlier this week.
The Colombo Additional Magistrate has ruled that there is sufficient evidence to indict seven suspects to Sri Lanka’s High Court, for the 2006 murder of Jaffna MP Nadarajah Raviraj. Magistrate Thilina Gamage has called for all the suspects to be fingerprinted and the case to be forwarded to the High Court as the prosecution concluded its submissions today, reports Daily Mirror . The prosecution has also reportedly sought the assistance of Interpol to find two of the men who are believed to be out of the country. One of the men is a former Sri Lankan policeman and is suspected to be hiding in Australia.